


This is Awkward: Courtship

by Jimmy_Rustled_Bird



Series: Wondrous Tails FFXIV Scraps and Scribbles 2020 [6]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Gen, Outtakes, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, a better au, sharedverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24048061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jimmy_Rustled_Bird/pseuds/Jimmy_Rustled_Bird
Summary: In which Mingxia Jiang tries to understand the nature of relationships.  She feels hers is a bit complicated.  She always thought she and Foulques were really good friends, but apparently, everyone around her seems to think they're something a bit more than that.  So, unable to find the answer in herself, she asks her friends for advice.
Relationships: Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light, Foulques & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Foulques/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light
Series: Wondrous Tails FFXIV Scraps and Scribbles 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694854
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. This is Awkward, I Don't Get It

###  Well, This is Awkward

Courtship, Mingxia decided, was definitely an awkward and somewhat confusing affair. Pun not intended.

It all started when, for the umpteenth time, some elderly lady commented that she and Foulques made a cute, if not slightly unusual couple. The exact words were, "Aren't the two of you a sweet young couple of adventurers! I don't often see Elezen and Hyur together like that, but I am hardly one to judge." 

Foulques rolled his eyes. Mingxia stared as if the lady had sprouted snakes for hair. Why did people keep saying that? "Pardon," she said, when the lady stuck around, presumably to hawk wares or some such, this  _ was _ the Sapphire Exchange after all. "But he and I are just friends."

“Truly? With how close you are, ‘tis easy to assume you are something more- ah, but that’s your business, I suppose.” The lady left them. However, it got Mingxia thinking. This, after all, was hardly the first time someone had made that assumption about her and Foulques. In fact, it seemed to happen quite frequently whenever the two of them went off to take a job without the others, or even just to go shopping for provisions, as seldom as that happened.

“Do not tarry, novice. I will not wait for you.” Foulques called over to her as she was perusing stones to use for the upgrade of their protective accessories. She did not respond immediately, lost in thought. “Are you seriously considering what she said to us? ‘Twas merely a sales pitch mixed with some gossip those with little else to do are spreading- hardly worth the time to ponder.”

“People make this mistake often enough that I’m starting to wonder if there’s something we’re doing that leads them to that impression,” she replied. 

“As I said, ‘tis nothing more than idle chatter. Those with the luxury to do so will always be looking for the latest scandal, and what could be  _ juicier _ than a Duskwight and a foreigner? I did not take you for the type to put weight in such things, however.” He crossed his arms and glanced over her shoulder. “Hm. You would do better to mine the materials yourself. Nothing in this shop has the requisite potency.”

They walked through the market, browsing the vendors’ wares. “Well, it isn’t bad to speak of lighter things every now again, is it?” She paused, glancing over the local alchemist’s concoctions, some of which were an overly familiar shade of swirling pink and blue. “What are people in love like?”

Foulques raised an eyebrow, regarding her incredulously. “Look no further than your associate’s very obvious infatuation with the knight in Central Coerthas- unless you mean to tell me that you have entirely failed to notice how she is literally tripping over herself and the  _ eyes _ she’s been giving him!" 

“So it’s like that? I thought it would be...you know, a little less obvious.” Mingxia said, twirling her wallet string in her fingers. 

“Huh, so you were serious.” Foulques peered down and nudged her shoulder, a snicker woven into his words. “Do you have your eye on someone? Perhaps you mean to compete with your associate? Or is it one of the other knights in the fort?”

“What, no! Foulques!” she playfully shoved him back. He laughed at her and ruffled her hair. “It’s not like I have time for that.”

“I don’t know, your associate certainly does, and you both do the same job.” He leaned his elbow on her head.

“Bleh, you’re no help at all!” she complained.

\-------------------------------

“What is it like to be in love?” Mingxia asked Momodi one day when she was passing through the Quicksand for a meal. She was alone that day since everyone else had jobs to do. Not to say that she was having a day off, it was just that she finished early and said job took her through familiar grounds.

“Oh? Did you find someone that set your heart aflutter? Don’t keep me in the dark about it now!” the proprietress leaned over the counter, propping her elbow on the surface. 

Mingxia shook her head. “No. At least, I don’t think so. It’s more of a...um, just in case?”

“Ah. Mayhaps you aren’t sure, or not ready yet?” Momodi inquired. Mingxia nodded. “Well then, pull up a chair, lass, and let’s see if we can’t get this figured out. Now then, while I would usually say “you’ll know when you meet him- or her- this does seem to be rather unhelpful to you. Hm, hm...well. This will be someone you’ll be happy to spend time with, and who you’ll miss when they’re not around. Someone you can trust with your life, and share your secrets with. Why, you might even be comfortable enough around them to want to hold their hand. Does that sound like something you might have felt?”

Mingxia hummed in thought, bobbing her head from side to side as she went through what Momodi told her.

“Um…” Mingxia started. Well, it was true that she’d felt this way towards Foulques, but did it count? They’d been comrades in arms since practically the third day in. He was definitely the first person she would trust her back with in a battle, and she  _ did  _ enjoy spending time with him. But he was away right now and it wasn’t like she was yearning to be glued to his side or anything, although she supposed she would be a bit sad if he wanted to go on his own way for good. And, to be fair, he  _ was _ pretty good at keeping secrets. She even swapped a few with him, so she had a few of his too! But they were friends, solidly good friends. Momodi nodded, hopeful at the possibility of a tale of romance. “How is that different from a good friend though?”

Momodi sighed to herself. She really should have had a drink before entertaining this question from this particular protege.  _ How awkward. _

\-------------

“Hey Rukia?” Mingxia approached the tall Au’ra while they were handling some chores by a river in La Noscea. The rest of their group was scattered along the banks, cleaning their laundry or their equipment. They were near enough that they could see each other, but not so close that they’d catch each other’s spent water.

“Hm? What’s up, little sis?” Rukia turned to look at the smaller Hyur.

“What do people do when they’re in love?” Mingxia asked.

Rukia smirked at her. “What, haven’t you seen Raven or Serella around Haurchefant and Aymeric? If you get like  _ that _ then you’ve definitely gone.”

Mingxia blew out an irritated sigh. “Yeah,  _ that’s  _ what Foulques said too.” She jabbed her thumb at him as he happened to look up. He levelled a questioning look at her from the next creek over. She shook her head to tell him not to mind it, and went back to washing her laundry, scrubbing harder with frustration.

It didn’t take Rukia long to notice. “Oh, you were serious. Well, I can’t say I know much about serious romances. Never had one myself. You’d be better off asking one of the others, but I imagine it would be someone you’d want to come home to- or at least come to bed to, if you catch my drift.” Mingxia’s face turned one shade darker as she focused harder on a  _ particularly stubborn spot _ on her clothes. “If you do end up falling in love, just make sure you use protection. If you don’t want to end up with kids, that is.”

“...thanks...I suppose…” Mingxia mumbled, thinking that this was entirely more than what she had asked about.  _ This is awkward. _

\----------------------

It was storming again in Coerthas, and everyone was holed up in various areas in the main building of Camp Dragonhead. Most of them were sleeping, but Mingxia was restless. She got up, fished her culinarian’s set out of her bag and set some milk to heat in the saucepan. Maybe some warm milk would help.

At some point, Haurchefant came over and they wound up making a batch of hot cocoa together. It used up all of the Night Milk Mingxia had packed away, but in her opinion it was worth it. After all, nobody made hot cocoa like Haurchefant did.

“What is it like, being in love?” she asked him while they were waiting for the freshly prepared and spiced hot cocoa to cool to a drinkable temperature.

“Oh? Have you found someone you like? No, no need to say a thing,” he answered, stopping her stumbling deflection with a conspiratory smile. “Is it not a wonderful feeling, to be in love? There is nothing quite like being with someone you know you have found to be the most stalwart of companions. That at the end of a long day, there is someone to come home to.” He looked up, gazing upwards into an unseeable distance with a smile on his face. Looking into a dream, perhaps towards one of the occupants he was boarding for the next foreseeable time.

Mingxia nodded from behind her mug of hot cocoa.  _ So it is like home _ , she thought. 

\-------------------------

Mingxia had heard that sometimes, people who loved each other wrote letters to each other. She just wasn’t sure  _ what _ exactly went into those, though that might have been because she never had written anything like that before.

She figured the best people to ask would probably be Serella and Aymeric. After all, they seemed to be a happy couple. Not terribly obvious, but if one were watching the way they occupied each other’s space and how easily they spoke to each other, at the very least they were more comfortable with each other than they were around a lot of people. They almost seemed like matching music boxes, in a way.

So when she asked Aymeric how love letters worked, she wasn’t at all prepared for the confusion that would follow. They weren’t really doing anything that day. It had been very busy the last little while and everyone wanted to take a day to rest and maybe get some decent sleep.

She’d tried asking Serella how the whole being in love thing worked, but Serella didn’t really have a good answer for her. She’d just gotten embarrassed and confused. Mingxia wondered if it was because she asked Serella how she and Aymeric were doing. Like that. As in, as a couple. There was a deflection of ‘not together like that (yet),’ and ‘testing the waters.’

“What kinds of things do you write to Serella about when you don’t see her for a while?” Mingxia blurted out one day while they were standing on a bridge overlooking a part of Coerthas.

“What I put in my letters…?” Aymeric echoed, confusion etched on his face. 

“Sorry. I know this makes me sound super nosy, but I’m having a bit of trouble trying to figure out the nature of some of my relationships. So I was wondering what sorts of things you put in a love letter. I thought since you two are so...you know, together-together I might ask.” Mingxia stumbled over her question, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment and looking at the floor. She failed to notice the blush that was crawling up his neck to his ears, and his own equally awkward glances out at the scenery. 

“Together-together?” he asked, his confusion appearing to deepen.

“Yes. Um...darn it, what is the word for this...seeing each other? Dating? Courting. Yes, courting. I mean, I’m probably wrong, it’s just you and big sis Serella are so comfortable around each other, you seem to fit in each other’s space, but well, I wouldn’t know, maybe you’re just best friends or something.” Mingxia looked back up with pleading eyes.

He regards her for a moment before raising a fist and coughing into it once to collect himself. “Were Serella and I truly courting, I would write to her about the lighter moments in the day to bring some levity to her if she is to be away for long, or the small things that remind me of her, and tell her that she is ever in my thoughts, that sort of thing. That is to say, _ were _ I courting Serella. Which I am most certainly  _ not _ .”

Ming nodded and turned back to the view over the bridge. Now  _ she _ was the one who was confused- and not just at herself.

_ Oh, how awkward this is. _

_ Maybe I’m just thinking too hard. _


	2. Now What Do I Do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the long journey ends. 
> 
> Mingxia comes home and follows her bond-sister's advice. Speak now, or never give voice to her heart. In this line of work, you don't know if you have tomorrow, so make the best of today.

Mingxia didn’t get anything figured out until well into the journey on the First. It wasn’t as if she’d forgotten, it was just that recent events simply did not lend themselves well to introspection. You don’t get a lot of time to yourself to think when the itinerary included ‘liberate two nations in succession, try not to die (several times), barely survive (again, several times), and deal with the resurrected body of a deceased foe who may or may not be possessed because around all this, Ascians were  _ still _ a thing’. 

The realization struck her, ironically, in the Rak’tika Greatwood- the forest in the First that was the analog of the Black Shroud. It was somehow bigger, older-looking, entirely foreign yet still inexplicably familiar, and just as dark. The first place in this entire wild journey when her thoughts could slow down enough to take stock of her situation.

Twelve, she missed him. It just didn’t feel right, proceeding like this, like there was a gap shaped like him in her space. It didn’t help, either, that in the forest she was basically blind even in the unending day. While Raven and Serella helped, and they did help a lot, it wasn’t quite the same. She never quite managed to fall into rhythm besides either of her sisters as she had with Foulques, and in battle, she was relying on her Echo and on Nyelbert’s warnings and calls far more than she’d like. To think that a ghost would be her eyes. And work had never felt more like work- she hadn’t known how much she’d appreciated his dry, sarcastic humour and their easy battle-rhythm until it wasn’t there.

_ If you are away, you will miss them dearly _ . 

_ He or she will be someone you are comfortable enough with to share space with, maybe even hold hands. _

_ He will be someone you will be happy to come home to. _

_ Home... _

No wonder she was in such a funk, she realized. She was homesick! And now that she thought about it, home wasn’t really a place. She’d cycled through her memories of the Quicksand, the Carline Canopy, Camp Dragonhead, the Fortemps Manor, her own house...none of them got quite the same kick as when she thought of Foulques. Yes, that must be where home was, right next to him. She’d been travelling with him for most of this crazy journey, to the point where some people were calling  _ him _ a Warrior of Light, and that frankly scared her, though she wasn’t sure why.

It was Rukia who caught on first. Well, she supposed Nyelbert probably figured it out, but he wasn’t much for talking. He just sort of sat there, on the rock or the log or sometimes in midair while she spaced out. 

“Alright, spill.” Rukia sat herself down on the log next to Mingxia. Today was an off day- even though they were on a tight schedule, they’d been on the move for a while. It was probably a good idea to rest before moving on, and where better to do that than in the camp of the Night’s Blessed? After all, these were strange woods, and rushing headlong into whatever was ahead of them likely wasn’t a good idea.

“Huh?” Mingxia mumbled, blinking owlishly at Rukia.

“You’ve been staring into the fire for a while now. It’s obvious you’re miserable. So spill. What’s eating you, little sister?”

Mingxia didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, staring into the canopy, she said. “I’m homesick.”

“You miss Foulques, huh?” Rukia said. Mingxia nodded silently, trying to work around the lump in her throat.

“Feels weird,” she said, forcing a grin. “First time I was sitting around a campfire like this was...well. I mean, not that you all aren’t- aren’t home too, it’s just…”

“Caught up to you?” Rukia filled in for her.

“Mhm.” Absently, Mingxia fed another stick to the cookfire and laughed. It was a strained sound. “Well, this is awkward. I’m on a different shard, I’m spacing out like a lovesick fool, I  _ am _ a lovesick fool, and I don’t quite know what to do with this.” Rukia chuckled and gently flicked Mingxia in the side of the head. “Aiyah.”

“Don’t think so hard.” Rukia said. “Just tell him when you get home. Blurt it out like you always do.”

“What if it’s only one sided?” Mingxia fretted.

“Oh  _ please _ . Have you seen the way he looks at you?” Rukia snorted. “You’ll be fine.” 

“Yeah, I guess so. I guess so. But! I guess we have to kick all this extra light out of orbit first, huh?” Mingxia said, trying to bring her thoughts back to the present.

“Mhm! That’s the spirit, little sister. Win this fight,” Rukia agreed.

“And I won’t go back empty-handed?” Mingxia finished.

“And you’ll have your prize.” Rukia nodded with a grin.

“You sound like him.” Mingxia remarked.

“We were best friends in the Lancer’s Guild, long, long ago.” Rukia’s grin widened. “Good times, good times.”

“...Do you normally make a habit of sleeping with your best friends?” Mingxia quipped.

“Honey, who do you think you’re talking to?  _ Everyone _ is fair game.” Rukia replied.

…. …. …. ….

It was a long battle.

As they were trying to bring down the Light, they of course ran into complications, because what would an adventure be without at least five things going wrong at once?

But they did it. It was a bit more costly than expected, but they did it. The First was safe, although seven of the ten of them could not yet return home. Soul travel was tricky. It worried her, knowing that their bodies and spirits were separated, since who even knew what would happen if the spirit was away for too long? Sitting around and worrying wasn’t going to solve anything though. Raven wanted to stay behind (understandably so, with how her husband was one of the seven stuck, and the little matter of ‘ohey, I actually did this before and died and proceeded to come back for a second shot.’), so Serella and Mingxia decided to go home to the Source first. After all, someone had to tell Moenbryda what was going on. That woman was an expert in matters concerning aether and aether transport, surely she might be able to help. That, and she would certainly relish the opportunity to work with colleagues an entire star away. They weren’t even home yet, and they could already imagine her excitement.

Mingxia had wanted to go to either her home in Othard or in Coerthas, initially. Go say hello to her dad, mom, uncle or other dad, but she must have not been focusing strongly enough, for she wound up back in Mor Dhona. Coincidentally, Foulques was there as well, likely handling some business with the Scions. (She never did understand why the Scions moved back in there- they seemed to have a habit of returning to places hit once by their enemies and she was just too tired to argue.)

She wasn’t sure if it was the summer heat or the long journey that got to her. She took one step, and her legs gave out. She braced herself to hit the ground and-

The ground never came. Strong arms caught her and when she looked up, her heart soared. There he was, the one she missed so badly. 

“Hi,” she said, not even caring that she sounded slightly breathless.

“Hi to you too. Your footwork is as unsteady as ever, novice. You are tripping over your own feet before you have even gone anywhere.” Foulques set her back on her feet, his playful sarcasm drawing a laugh out of her.

“Glad to see you haven’t changed.” She took a deep breath, drinking in the sight of him. Had it really only been ...how long  _ had _ it been? It was summer, she knew that much, but when had she left? Spring? Early summer? Clearly not that much time had passed but it felt like forever. “Am I late for Moonfire?”

“No, it has yet to begin. Though, if you are this unsure on your feet, it will not be much of a contest to reach the top of the course.” He smirked, crossing his arms, and looked her up and down. “You have been busy, I see.” 

“Haha, don’t be so sure of that. In a few bells I’ll be fine. This year I’ll win for sure.” She paused. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s been...something, I can tell you that. I’ll tell you about it over drinks.”

She ordered something different in the Seventh Heaven. Something a bit stronger, as strong as what he was having. He glanced at her glass, shooting her a questioning glance. “Finally worked up the courage for something stronger, or should I be worried?”

She smiled at him, playful, but with an edge. “Mayhap I’m not as much of a lightweight as you think I am.” She sipped the drink, barely flinching at the slight burn it had going down her throat. “A lot happened. The lot of us who were forcefully and willingly brought to the First Star...it was on the brink of a calamity. Think of the brightest day in summer. Now imagine that was every day, all hours, for so long that people were forgetting what the night looked like. My sisters and I were going around draining the remaining inhabited areas of the excess aether- and did you know Light is actually stasis? Everything it touched became like the beasts in Amdapor City. Statuesque and white, and with no will of their own.”

If Foulques’ eyebrows went up any higher they would have disappeared into his hairline. “Little wonder that a bit of alcohol does not bother you, then. How much did you have?”

“One Lightwarden’s worth. Er, that’s about the size of that guardian angel-thing from Amdapor. Raven and Serella had two each. That’s not even the wild part though. You know the former Emperor of Garlemald? Solus yae Galvus? Yeah, got to meet him in the prime of his life. He came along for the ride but we wound up fighting him. He told us that all this,” she gestured widely, “and the other Stars were once a single Star that was undergoing an apocalypse. One thing happened after the next, and two Elder Primals later, here we are, each of us split ...well, it should be fourteen times but it’s more like what...seven uneven ones since we had seven Rejoinings or something? Six or seven? I forgot. Anyroad...oh yeah, I’m haunted.”

“Why am I not surprised. Who is it?” Foulques asked, propping his head on his hand. 

“Remember Naillebert, or should I say, Nyelbert?” she grinned, nodding to an empty space beside her, where  _ she _ could see her companion ghost, but nobody else could. 

“Aye, I recall the Elezen black mage. ...PFFT! Your mother was right then! You truly do have the soul of an Elezen, assuming you are speaking true and not addled by your drink.” Foulques chortled. Nyelbert shot Foulques a withering glare and glanced at his host.  _ What do you even see in this man? _

“Too many things to describe,” Mingxia answered quietly. Foulques glanced at her.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Nyelbert was asking me something. I answered. Oh, speaking of, Nyelbert, why don’t you go wander around Mor Dhona a bit? I never did get to show you around properly, but something tells me you prefer to explore without a tour guide prattling on about every little thing.” Mingxia said, nodding again at the door. To her eyes only, Nyelbert got up, nodded in understanding, and wandered away. Foulques was watching her in bemusement. 

“I never thought I would see the day someone asked a ghost for privacy,” he remarked.

“Yes, well...there’s a couple of awkward things I’d rather not have him around for. If you thought the ghost thing was weird, how crazy would you think I am if I told you that I’ve died once, and the one talking to you has lived through these events twice now?” she bunched her hands in her robe, hiding her tension.

He stared at her, considering. “T’would have come as more of a shock if your black-robed foes were not constantly ranting on about it. It is hard to believe, but after seeing what you and the rest of this company has done, it is not impossible. ...What was the price?”

“Memories, and some of the protective wards I had the first time through. Four points of defenses for the chance to act freely, all with the charge that this time, whatever battles lay ahead must be won. Whatever that means.” Mingxia shrugged and sipped her drink. “I don’t know if I can win whatever awaits. But this time was worth it. I don’t mind being a bit weaker, if that means I get more time with friends and family and- and the chance to fall in love and keep it.”

He smirked, meeting her eyes. “Oho, did someone on the First catch your eye? Or are your tastes closer to home?” 

_ This is it. Say it now, or never speak.  _ “Someone did. He sits in front of me. He has walked beside me for years. He taught me the way of the lance, is insufferably smug and yet has never led me astray. He was the first and deepest cut the last time I lived this life, who brings me immeasurable happiness now, though I did not know until I was so long away I felt all was amiss as I worked. You. All this time, it was you.”

If her heart hadn’t been hammering in her chest, if she weren’t so terrified of what he would say, she would have laughed at the way his entire face darkened behind the hand covering his mouth. He looked away, at a loss for words. He looked back after a long moment, right as anticipation was curdling into disappointment. Maybe this was a bad idea. But she kept her eyes up, determined to see it through to the end.

“Why?” he asked. “Not that I- of all the people in two stars, why would you choose me?”

“Who else is there? You were my first friend both times, my best friend now. Big brother told me love is like coming home- and you are home to me. I am happiest with you.” She shrugged helplessly. “Although I expect I’ve gone and made a right mess of things. I- I get it if you don’t feel the same, I just thought you should know. And, um, thanks for sticking by me through...all this.” She made to lift her cup, thinking she should down the entire thing in one go to hopefully forget how she just embarrassed herself in a tavern. Really, why did she think this was a good idea to confess here? In a  _ tavern _ ? She should have picked somewhere quieter.

Only for her hand to be caught in his before she could even pick the drink up. She looked back up, her questioning gaze meeting his intense stare. She pointedly tried to ignore the flutter of hope in her chest. His face was about three shades darker than usual, she noted idly, and he seemed to be struggling to say something. 

“I like you too.” He said it so quickly she almost missed it. Almost.

She smiled so hard she thought her face would break. She stood up, went to his side of the table, sat down and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

Seventh Heaven. A fitting name. She felt like she was as close to heaven as she would ever get, tucked against Foulques’ side, finally at home.

Of course, there was still one little matter to take care of…

“...Er, so now what?” she asked.

“Hm?” he hummed.

“I...I’ve never done this before. Ahaha, this is rather awkward, isn’t it? I’m completely clueless.”  _ Great, second confession of the evening! _

“Heh. Just like you to rush in without knowing. We can be awkward together.” He smiled and patted her head. “That is the fun of it, is it not?”

“Mhm!”

_ I'm home. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the end of This is Awkward!
> 
> Meant for Wondrous Tails, but I ran out of time, haha.
> 
> I'm up to my shenanigans of posting way too late. Also yay, shippy.

**Author's Note:**

> Wondrous Tails: Courtship  
> Many thanks to stars_bleed_hearts_shine for her advice, since Aymeric, is as usual, difficult to pin down. I had to actually use some major edits from her to make it work. Also thanks to lunarosewood23 for sitting through it with me and doing a beta-on-the-fly.


End file.
